Phantom Scars
by colossus.key
Summary: Avery flees from Tacoma to get away from the violence that claimed her best friend's life, and goes to Charming. But when her past follows her there, can she cope? And when his past destroys her future, is there anyone else in the Sons who can help her?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Sons of Anarchy, although I wouldn't mind it. I only own Avery. Rated M for violence, language and sexuality. Reviews are much appreciated, positive or negative.

It wasn't a slow awakening, like in the movies, where eyelashes flutter, the patient sighs gently, and they lay there, looking beautiful and radiant despite the fact that they shook hands with death.

No, that wasn't this awakening. This was sudden and blinding. One moment was peaceful sleep; the next was panic. The first realization was that I couldn't breathe. My throat was jammed tight with some kind of obstruction and I gagged, my body trying to repel the foreign object. I could faintly hear rushed footsteps approaching, and foreign hands grasped mine, stopping them on their path to yank whatever it was from my airway.

A sudden tug, and there was a horrid feeling as the tube was pulled from me, triggering my gag reflex. I coughed roughly, a raspy rattle that made my whole body scream in protest, and with that, pain erupted along my back. It felt as if there was a huge cut on my back that hadn't healed yet, and the skin was being pulled apart.

For that long minute, all I could see was blinding white light. But as seconds ticked by, the light faded, and details became clear. The spotted ceiling tiles above, with fluorescent lights humming. Faces swam into view, one blonde nurse with a large mouth full of brilliant white teeth, and another nurse, this one brunette, with a strict looking face, who was barking orders at the blonde, orders I couldn't hear.

A sting on my left arm and I could feel sleep suddenly overtake me, blocking out the pain, and my eyes closed. Just like that, I was asleep again.

I slowly awoke, blinking the sleep from my eyes. Looking around, I finally managed to figure out where I was. A hospital. The room was pure white, with a painting or two scattered on the walls. The bed I was laying on was hard, the sheets scratchy against my bare arms and legs. Thin tubes ran out of my arms and up to pouches of clear liquid that hung on metal stands. My back felt tight and I shifted gingerly, so as not to cause the pain I had felt before. Slowly raising my hands to eye level, I inspected them. White gauze enveloped my left forearm, and when I raised my right hand the rest of the way and felt as much of my back that I could reach, I discovered more bandages covering it. My arm fell back to the bed as I sighed.

My eyes slid shut and I thought hard, trying to remember exactly was had happened. At first, all I could envision was a deafening explosion, a wave of heat, and now I was in the hospital. A knock at the door yanked me from my thoughts, and a doctor entered. He was a tall, slender man dressed in a doctor's coat and khaki pants.

"Glad to see you're awake Ms. Lowman. We put you, basically, in a coma for three days to let your body being the healing process uninterrupted, and I have to admit you are healing at such a fast pace, that I feel quite comfortable in letting you go home today. I'll have one of the nurses explain to you what you have to do as far as changing bandages and what not." He said all this fairly quickly, and before I could say anything, he left.

A few minutes later, there was another knock at the door, and someone different walked in. this time it was a tall man in his mid-thirties with tanned skin and a shaved head. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a black hoodie and a leather cut that identified him as belonging to the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club. There was a look about him that said he could probably break every bone in your body without breaking a sweat, but when he saw me, a grin spread over his face.

"Ava!" He crossed the room in three long strides. "How're you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good for not even knowing what happened," I said, smiling up at my older brother.

"You…don't remember?" he grimaced. I shook my head.

"I mean, I remember an explosion and some kind of building, but other than that, nothing.

"Um…well you were at the warehouse with Bolt, and there was an accident." Upon hearing that, I could suddenly remember. Bolt and I had been at the warehouse, checking on the clubs gun supply. As we were leaving, Bolt had suddenly pushed me to the ground, and a split second later, the warehouse had exploded.

"The doc said you only suffered burns between first and second degree on your upper back and a bit on your arms. He said that for how large the blast was, you were insanely lucky," Happy explained.

"What about Bolt? What room is he in?" At this point, knowing that I would be fine, all I cared about was knowing where one of my closest friends was. At hearing my question, Happy's eyes dropped to the floor, and he slowly fidgeted back and forth. I waited for a few moments, but he still didn't look at me.

"Happy?" I growled, desperately trying to ignore the icy tendrils of dread that were starting to churn my stomach. He slowly looked up at me, our eyes meeting, and in that second, I realized. The tendrils of dread shot up into my chest, wrapping around my lungs, and I suddenly struggled to breathe.

"He's…?" Happy nodded, affirming my worst belief. I slumped back in the bed as tears threatened to pour. Happy grabbed my hand, squeezing it.

"It's ok, Ava. They said that he didn't feel a thing." I sighed, Happy's comment failing to make me feel much better.

"It's all my fault," I murmured, my eyes closing against the approaching tears.

"What do you mean Ava? This has nothing to do with you. Whoever blew that warehouse to hell obviously wanted to hurt the club, not necessarily you. You didn't cause this in any way. But I do have to ask…did you see anything or anyone out of place? Kozik and Lorca are out trying to find out anything they can." I sighed again.

"How can you be sure Hap? How can you be sure that I wasn't a target?" Part of me wanted to believe him, but the other part just couldn't help but blame myself for my friend's death. Happy sighed, his other hand coming up to rub at his head.

"Honestly Ava, I'm not sure. That's why, after Bolt's funeral, we're getting you out of Tacoma. I already talked to Clay, and he said that he'd be glad to have you down in Charming. If this attack really was about you, then that's the safest place for you. If I know Juice like I think I do, I know that he'll take good care of you."

"But!" Happy's hand shot up to silence my half-formed protest.

"If this was about you, then I'm not taking any chances. I already got the ok from Clay and Lee, so please don't argue with me. I don't care if this might be overkill, I'm not taking the chance," Happy rasped. I groaned inwardly, knowing that there was no point arguing.

"When do I leave?"

"Day after tomorrow. Charming is coming up for Bolt's funeral tomorrow, then a few of them are going to stay and accompany us down to Charming," Happy explained. There was a sudden knock at the door and a nurse walked in.

"Well Ms. Lowman, I have your discharge papers here. I just need your signature and we can get you out of here," the nurse said cheerfully, crossing the room and setting down a clipboard on the table next to me. I looked up at her, anger suddenly bubbling up to the surface. Anger at being in the hospital, anger at this stupid fucking nurse and her cheerfulness at a time like this, and most of all, anger at whoever did this to me and killed Bolt.

Happy's hand shot out, gripping my forearm. He could obviously tell that I was about to explode and possibly harm the nurse. Taking a few breaths to calm myself, I grabbed the pen and scrawled my name on the dotted line.

"Excuse me sir, if you could please leave so that she can change," the nurse said, picking up a bag of clothes from next to the bed. Just as Happy was about to leave, our eyes met again, and one final thought prevailed. Maybe going to Charming wouldn't be so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read and a special thanks to LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX for your review, it's much appreciated. A lot of people read, but only one person reviewed, so if you could just leave a review please, it's the author's bread and butter. We live on reviews. Positive, negative anything. Just to let me know how I'm doing, if there's anything that you think I should change, it's much appreciated! So thank you in advance! Anyway, I'm done ranting! As usual, I only own Avery, it's rated M for language, sexuality and violence.

I sat on my bed, unable to get dressed. My clothes were next to me, a pair of black dress pants, a black button-up, and a pair of black flats. The funeral was in less than two hours, but I still couldn't move. I had been discharged from the hospital yesterday with a bottle of antibiotics and a special type of lotion to put on the burns to minimize scarring. The cops had already cornered me as I had been leaving the hospital and had taken me to the station for questioning. But there was no point. The only thing I knew was that one of my friends was dead and it was somehow my fault.

My fault. The wicked thought that my mind kept returning to. I had barely gotten any sleep because of that thought. Bolt didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be killed in cold blood, while I was still here, mostly whole. It hurt. It almost physically hurt. Somewhere inside me, I could feel the anger bubbling up, my hands clenching into fists.

A knock at the door broke me from my trance. I quickly wiped away the tears that had started to fall, and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

"Yeah?"

"Ava? We gotta leave in fifteen minutes," Happy rasped through the door, his footsteps echoing in the hallway as he walked away. Groaning quietly to myself, I stood up, dropping the cream colored towel that was covering me, and set about getting dressed. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay in this room forever, although the thought of stepping outside and having to see everyone was a pretty good incentive to stay where I was. Taking one final deep breath, pausing for a second to scratch at the bandages that covered my back, I pushed the door open and headed for the front room.

There were a few people there to escort us to the funeral home. Amongst them were Happy, Clay, Chibs and Juice. Slowly sidling around the corner, I leaned up against the white wall of the front room, trying to avoid being seen. However, it didn't work. Juice spotted me at once, and rushed over to me, sweeping me up in an attempt at a comforting hug.

"How are you?" he murmured into my ear, slowly releasing me. I shrugged.

"I guess I'm ok. I just don't really know what to do with myself. I don't know whether to cry or be strong," I whispered back, hoping that the lower my voice was, the less likely I would be to cry. But it didn't work. Tears pooled into my eyes again, threatening to pour down my face, and possibly ruin my makeup along the way. _Curse my not thinking to put on waterproof mascara,_ I thought to myself.

By now, the three other men had noticed me. Chibs slowly walked over, pulling me into another hug. I leaned into the Scotsman, my head pressed against his chest, the warmth of his body and the spicy scent that seemed to cling to him, encircling me. All at once, I felt my stomach flip-flop, and a sudden wave of sadness washed over me.

A small sob ripped from my throat, and Chibs' arms tightened around me, his hand running up and down my back in a soothing manner. I winced slightly as his hand ran over my bandages. My back was still tender.

"Sorry love," he said, slowly releasing me. _I wish I could've just stayed like that all day_. The though flew through my head, before I dismissed it quickly. I didn't need anything like that right now.

"Hey Avery." Clay approached me now. The older man gave me a gentle hug, before pulling back to smile down at me. "Don't worry, everything's already taken care of, and I promise, we're gonna try our best to fix this."

"Thanks, Clay, I appreciate it," I murmured.

"Ready?" Happy rasped. Nodding, I let my brother lead me out of the house and to the car that was waiting. At this I looked questioningly up at Happy.

"I thought I was riding with you?" As if I hadn't needed any more bad news at the time, Happy had told me, on our way home from the hospital, that my bike, a 2002 Softail that everyone had chipped in and bought for me on my 21st birthday, had also been destroyed in the accident. Although, I had to admit to myself, even if it hadn't, I wasn't in any shape to ride.

"Gemma wanted me to offer, and say that if you wanted you could ride with her," Clay explained, gesturing to the car just as the door opened and the woman stepped out. She still looked the same as I remembered: tough, but loving. She also came up and gave me a hug.

"I'm so sorry sweetie," Gemma said, releasing me. I nodded my head.

"Uh, thanks for the offer Gemma, but I'd really prefer to ride with Hap, if that's ok with you," I said turning to my brother. He flashed me a rare smile, nodding. Everyone scattered; the men returned to their bikes with me in tow and Gemma climbed back into the car. Putting my helmet on, I climbed on behind Happy, the bikes all roared to life, and we backed out of the driveway.

Taking a deep breath of the warm Tacoma air, I felt a sort of calm overtake me. This was the first time since I had woken up in the hospital yesterday that I felt almost at peace. Feeling the bike vibrating beneath me was always a sort of sedative, something that no matter what went wrong or how horrid I felt, would calm me down, relax me. And this was the day that I needed it the most.

After a short ride, too short in my opinion, we pulled into the funeral home. The parking lot was already full of bikes. Every charter from Washington down to California and as far east as Utah had shown up. The thought that they had all come to honor Bolt, a brother, put a small smile on my face. Waiting patiently as Happy parked the bike; I then climbed off and waited for Happy, Chibs, and Juice. If I needed anyone right now, I needed my brother, and two more of the men who were closest to me in my life.

Taking a deep breath, I looked up at the funeral home. It was a slightly intimidating building, with a brick façade and white trim. Nervously adjusting my clothes, and reaching up to scratch again at my bandages on my back, I tried to get up the nerve to walk in.

"Wha's wrong love?" Chibs asked, as him, Juice, and Happy stopped next to me.

"I just don't know if I can do this," I mumbled, my eyes finding a very interesting spot on the pavement.

"You're not alone here Ava," Juice said. "Bolt was a brother to us all, we all cared about him, and this is hurting us all inside too." Chibs nodded in agreement.

"I just…I hate being like this, balling my eyes out. I need to be strong, fight through this," I murmured quietly, sniffing as tears again, for what seemed like the millionth time that day, threatened to pour. At that, both men pulled me into a somewhat awkward hug.

"Ya don't need to be strong. Ya need to let it all out, or else it's just going ter keep building up, and when it finally does come out, it'll be a million times wors," Chibs explained.

"Yeah Ava, don't worry about being strong. That is what we're here for," Juice grinned at me. I smiled slightly, which seemed to be the effect that the two men had on me.

"Let's just get through today, then tomorrow, you can come down to Charming with us, and I promise, we're gonna turn that frown upside down!" Juice grinned. At that I couldn't help but laugh. Maybe I could get through this, with the help of Juice, one of my closest friends in the world, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Sons of Anarchy

**Disclaimer:** so just to let everyone know, no I haven't abandoned this story. I just needed to take a break due to some personal issues. I can't thank otte1978 enough for the messages and for everyone who is still interested in this story!

The day passed in a blur. If anyone had asked me what had happened after I walked into the funeral home, I wouldn't have been able to answer them. It was a whirl of hugs, attempts at comforting words, and discomfort. My back still ached from the burns, but I didn't take anything to dull it. I _wanted_ to feel the pain, _wanted_ to remind myself that I hadn't escaped from it whole.

I remembered the preacher's words, when he asked if anybody wanted to say anything. I could feel everyone's stares on my back; they expected me to say something. But what could I say? That Bolt was one of my closest friends? That he died unjustly? That this never should have happened and that it was my fault? I didn't say anything then, but I waited until everything was over and I stayed behind to say my peace.

_Hey buddy,_ I thought. _I really don't know what to say, you know I'm not good at stuff like this. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I caused this. If I had never been at the warehouse, you'd still be here, instead of six feet under. Hap's sending me down to Charming, although I have to admit that I'm quite glad to go. I need to get out of Tacoma, get away from everything that happened. Lorca and Kozik already started the investigation to figure out who did it, and I know that Happy is more than willing to join them. But how can I tell them that I have a feeling who caused this? I don't want any more bloodshed on my hands. So I'm getting the hell out of dodge. Juice is pretty excited, and I'm glad that I can finally see him for more than a few hours or a day. _I couldn't help, but grin at the thought of the mohawked biker. He had been one of my closest friends since I first met him when Hap got patched into Tacoma. Whereas most of the guys at the party had been trying to get into my pants, he was more than glad to join me for a game of pool. After that, it was constantly texting and occasionally seeing each other.

_We're going to get this sorted out Bolt, I promise. And when I find whoever did this, I swear, I'm putting a bullet in their head._ At that, I laid the joker sunflower against his headstone.

"You need any help packing, Ava?" Juice asked through my door after knocking. Looking around my room at what was left, I spoke up.

"Sure, why not, come on in," I called, folding the shirt I was holding and tossing it into my suitcase. The door creaked open, and Juice walked in, and laid down on my bed. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I thought you were going to help me?"

"I am. Pack that shirt and those jeans," he gestured to some of my clothes that were sitting on the end of my bed. I shook my head, and packed a few more pairs of jeans and some shirts. Grabbing another set of clothes, I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Slipping off my sweatpants and plain black t-shirt, I changed into a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that said "reaper crew" in blue across my chest.

"You excited?" Juice asked, after I left the bathroom.

"Yeah, actually, I am," I smiled, tossing the rest of my clothes and necessities into the suitcase and zipping it closed. "Did you make the arrangements?"

"Yup. I ran your design by him, and he's drawing it up as we speak. He said he'll be at the clubhouse tomorrow afternoon." I smiled. Out of the few tattoos that I had, this was the one that I was the most excited to get. It was a tribute to Bolt. A knock from my door drew our attention.

"You ready?" Happy asked. I nodded. I was actually excited to leave. Sliding on my black motorcycle boots, I grabbed my jacket from the chair it sat on, and my purse from next to it, I slipped past Happy. He held back for a second, grabbing my suitcase for me, and the three of us headed to the front room. There Chibs and Kozik were waiting. They, along with Happy and Juice, were escorting me down to Charming. I would've been fine with just Chibs and Juice going with me, but Happy and Kozik had insisted, and they needed someone to drive the truck back.

The drive down to Charming took a few hours at best. I spent the drive in silence. Happy drove and I sat in the passenger seat. Juice and Chibs rode ahead of us, with Kozik behind. I had plugged my headphones in and spent the drive with my head leaning against the window, aimlessly watching the scenery pass by. A wave of sadness fell over me as a particular song came on.

_There's no one in town I know_

_You gave us some place to go_

_I never said thank you for that_

_I thought I might get one more chance_

It brought back all of the memories that we had had together. Him letting me stay with him when I couldn't pay the rent at mine and Happy's apartment because Happy was in prison and I could barely find work. How Bolt got me even closer with the club and how they took care of me and made me one of their own. I wasn't just going to be an old lady possibly one day.

_What would you think of me now?_

_So lucky, so strong, so proud_

_I never said thank you for that_

_Now I'll never have a chance_

The memory of when Happy was gone and I accidently started getting involved with the wrong people, how Bolt had beat the crap out of my boyfriend at the time because I came home one night with a black eye.

_May Angels lead you in_

_Hear you meet my friends_

_On sleepless roads, the sleepless go_

_May Angels lead you in_

How all the nights that I couldn't sleep and would stay up late watching TV because I was worried about Happy in prison, that Bolt would come into the front room and sit with me until I fell asleep.

_And if you were with me tonight_

_I'd sing to you just one more time_

_A song for a heart so big_

_God wouldn't let it live_

How Bolt was always there for me, was a true friend, and a brother.

_May Angels lead you in_

_Hear you meet my friend_

_On sleepless roads the sleepless go_

_May Angels lead you in_

But it reminded me mostly how I never said thank you to him. Another wave of sadness overtook me and I had to bit my tongue to prevent a sob from sliding out. Quickly changing the song to something happier and more upbeat, I gazed back out the window at the passing landscape.

Without me really even noticing it, my gaze slid over to the motorcycle that was closest to me, and to the man that was riding it. Ever since I had met him, I couldn't deny that I was attracted to him. Besides, what girl doesn't think that a guy with an accent was hot? But it was more than just that. Underneath the tough exterior, he was a surprisingly sweet guy, always willing to listen to me rant with an open ear and a joke to cheer me up.

I loved watching him, the way he easily controlled the bike, the muscles that I couldn't see as they flexed when he made tiny corrections or when we turned off of the street and pulled into the driveway of Teller-Morrow Automotive. The men parked their bikes off to the side.

Slipping my iPod into my purse, I slid out of the truck. The doors to the garage were open and there were a few men working inside, but none of them wore a cut identifying them as belonging to the Sons.

"Where is everyone?" I asked Chibs as he took his helmet off. He shrugged, but then turned as a heavyset man wearing a cut approached us.

"Hey Avery," he said, giving me a hug.

"Hey Bobby, how are you?" I asked the older man. He shrugged.

"I was good until I woke up this morning."

"Where is everyone?" Juice asked, as him, Happy and Kozik joined the circle. At that, Bobby sighed and ran his hand through his short hair.

"That's just what I'm talking about. Apparently two nights ago, someone blew up our gun warehouse. And if to make matters worse, Gemma showed up about two hours ago saying that she found Jax's ex-wife, whose pregnant, unconscious at their house, and they rushed her to the hospital. Apparently she found a bunch of thumb bags. They had to do an emergency C-section and he's premature," Bobby explained. My jaw dropped open. _And I thought things were bad in Tacoma_.

"Apparently we came back just in time for a shit-storm," Juice commented. Bobby shrugged.

"We got church in an hour. Happy, Kozik, you guys are welcome to stay for it," Bobby said, nodding to Happy and Kozik.

"I'd like to stay, but Lee wants me back right away. He said that he needs me and Lorca looking into the accident," Kozik explained. Everyone embraced him, and he hopped back on his bike, and drove off.

"I'm going to go get settled in. Let me know what's going on," I said to Happy, grabbing my suitcase out of the back of the truck and heading into the clubhouse. Happy had already told me that Clay said I could stay at the clubhouse until I got an apartment. That is, if I was staying in Charming that long. Hanging a left down the hallway, I headed through an open door into a small room. There was a bed, dresser, and a door in the back of the room that I guessed lead to a bathroom.

Tossing my suitcase onto the bed, I set about unpacking. Pulling the drawers on the dresser open, I started organizing my clothes. Pants and shirts in one drawer, underclothes in another. Heading over to the closet, I hung up my jacket and a few other things. Grabbing my shower stuff and makeup bags, I set them in the shower and on the counter in the bathroom. After putting the now empty suitcase in the closet, I sat down and took a look around.

The room was plain, but it was enough for me. The bed had, hopefully, clean sheets on it, and it was pretty comfortable. Grabbing my purse, I pulled out an item that I had carefully wrapped in a soft t-shirt. Opening it up, I pulled out two picture frames. One had a picture of me and Happy in it, us sitting on his bike, a rare smile on his face. The second was of me and Bolt, sitting at the bar in the Tacoma clubhouse, each with a beer in our hands. Gazing sadly at it, I arranged them on the small table next to the head of the bed. Scratching absent-mindedly at the bandages on my back, I grabbed my pill bottle out of my purse and took one of them.

There was a knock at the door. Getting up, I walked over to it and opened it. Juice was outside.

"Everyone else is here and we just finished church. So if you're finished…" Juice explained. I nodded. Stepping outside, I closed the door and followed Juice down the hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Sons of Anarchy

Walking down the hallway with Juice, the first thing I noticed was an awful smell. It smelled like something had died and rotted somewhere in the clubhouse. And I wasn't the only one that noticed it.

"What the hell is that smell?" Clay asked, as me and Juice came to stand at the bar. The prospect, who I had only met a few months ago, was handing out drinks.

"Fuck the smell; look at that fine piece of ass standing there!" Tig came up to me, picking me up off my feet and swinging me around. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Put me down, you ass, before you spill your beer on me!" I said, hitting him gently in the shoulder as he lowered me to the ground.

Holy shit!" Bobby yelled from behind me. We all spun around to see him pulling a deer head out of a box that was under the pool table. It was covered in blood.

"Get it out of here!" Clay roared at the prospect. I guess he was the one that put it there. I turned back around and accepted the beer that Juice pushed into my hand.

"Good idea Juice, get her drunk," Tig laughed as we all headed outside to the party that was starting. The lot was full of bikes, with men wearing cuts and scantily clad women. I took a long swig of it.

"Unlike the girls that I'm sure you're used to Tig, I can actually hold my alcohol," I grinned at him, heading over to the grills to get some food. Grabbing a plate, I grabbed a burger off the growing stack. Squirting some ketchup on it, I headed over to a table that was somewhat isolated. Even though I was very happy to be in Charming, surrounded by the people that I loved, part of me just wanted to be alone.

I felt the table depress a bit, and I looked over at the person who had joined me. A grin spread over my face.

"How you doin' love?" Chibs asked, taking a drink of his beer. I shrugged, taking a bite of my burger.

"I'm actually doing ok. I thought I would be much worse, but I'm actually not bad. I think the change of scenery helped." Chibs smiled.

"Good, I'm glad," he said, pulling me into a one-armed hug and kissing my forehead. At that, I could feel my cheeks turn bright red. Pulling away, I looked down, trying to hide my blush with my hair. Hurried footsteps drew our attention. Juice jogged up to us.

"What's up?" I said, slightly worried.

"Tig and Happy are gonna duke it out in the ring. I thought you guys might wanna watch," Juice huffed, out of breath. I grinned.

"Hell yeah!" I said, quickly downing the rest of my burger. Taking a swallow of beer to wash it all down, I hopped down off of the table.

"You coming?" I asked Chibs, who looked to be lost in thought. He jerked slightly, as if I had startled him. He nodded. Dumping my plate into one of the many garbage cans that were around, we both walked over to the ring.

The fight had already started. That coupled with the beer that I had already ingested and the loud rock music that was playing, I grinned. This was just what I needed.

"Kick his ass Happy!" I yelled, slamming my hand down on the mat. Next to me, Chibs laughed.

"What's so funny?" I glared at the Scotsman.

"You. Most of the guy's sisters want nothing ter do with the club, with this life. But, damn, you fit in perfectly." He laughed again.

"It does help that I grew up with the club." Turning back to the boxing match, I cheered even louder. It went on for a few minutes longer, before Bobby jumped in to break it up. Both men hugged, then left the ring. I wandered around for a little while, occasionally talking to some of the other Sons, until I decided to join Juice for a game of pool.

"Ladies first," Juice said, gesturing to the table.

"Of course, chivalry at its finest," I laughed, before leaning over the table to break the balls. They scattered, and two of the striped balls went in. We went back and forth for a little while, until I had three left and Juice only had one, and the eight ball.

"Ok Kat, no pressure, but you had better win," Tig commented. He had come to watch, sitting on the couch with a blonde sweetbutt on his lap.

"And if I don't?" I asked him, slowly circling the pool table to determine my next shot.

"You are in serious trouble." I couldn't help but laugh as I leaned over the table and lined up the shot. I managed to get two of the balls in, but missed the third. Juice lined up his shot and managed to get his in. "Oh please Tig, that kind of sounds like an empty threat."

"Eight ball, corner pocket," he said, taking the shot. It bounced a bit, but when in. I sighed, looking over at my best friend. He had a stupid grin on his face.

"I win, I win, I win," he crowed, doing a small dance. I shook my head laughing, and downed the rest of my beer. Juice headed off to the bar, presumably to get another drink, and Tig grabbed his sweetbutt and left. Laying down on the couch, I put my arm over my head. It was starting to get pretty late, probably around 1 A.M., and I was starting to get sleepy. I hadn't slept well the last two nights since I had gotten out of the hospital. All I could think about was Bolt.

Making up my mind, I set my empty bottle down on the bar and started to make my way down the hallway to my bedroom.

"Turnin in already, love?" He asked. The accent managed to send a chill up my spine, the alcohol making his voice a bit husky. I turned around to face him, trying to steady my nerves. It was rare that I felt like this around someone, but whatever feelings I had for him, the alcohol seemed to be increasing them.

He was leaning casually against the wall, holding a beer in his left hand. His jeans were slung low on his hips, and his long-sleeved black shirt hugged his arms. His eyes smoldered slightly as mine met his.

"Yeah. I'm pretty tired, I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights," I smiled up at him, running my hand nervously through my dark brown hair.

"Alrighty love, see you in tha morning," he said, pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him, leaning my head against his chest. I sighed happily, as his scent wrapped around me again. My stomach flipped, just like it had last time when he hugged me in my front room in Tacoma. There was just something about the Scotsman, something that I was inexplicably drawn to.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Sons of Anarchy

I yawned and rolled over, stretching. The roar of an incoming motorcycle had woken me up and I hit a button on my cell phone, illuminating the screen. It was a few minutes to nine. Slowly clambering out of bed, I dug a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that had a reaper on the front of it out of a drawer. I stripped off my sweatpants and camisole, and slid on the jeans and a bra. Grabbing the lotion off my dresser, I headed into the bathroom to put it on my back. It took a few minutes to dry, then I pulled my t-shirt on, and headed out into the hallway. Walking into the main part of the clubhouse, I headed to the table that the guys were crowded around. Most of them were already drinking beer, despite the early hour, and just as I sat down, Bobby walked in.

"Mornin Avery," Jax said as I sat down in a chair between Chibs and him. I smiled up at the V.P. before saying good morning to all the guys. Bobby headed to the table, and dumped muffins out of the brown paper bag that he was carrying. The guys flocked to them, hands flying in and grabbing the muffins as quick as they could. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm guessing these muffins are a hot commodity?" I said. Everyone nodded.

"They're organic, somewhat healthy, and they go great with tequila," Piney said, downing a shot and taking a bite.

"Here, Avery, I saved one for you," Bobby said, handing me one. I looked at it for a minute, then took a bit. Chewing thoughtfully for a moment, I nodded.

"You're right. These things are freaking amazing." I quickly downed the rest of the muffin.

"Hey Clay, I just talked to my City Hall informant, Hale's got a warrant to search the warehouse. Oh and Kat, Jimmy'll be here in an hour," Juice said as he entered the clubhouse. I grinned. I was excited to get a tattoo to remember my friend.

"What's Jimmy coming here for?" Jax asked.

"I'm getting a tattoo for Bolt," I explained to the guys.

"Alrighty guys, get to work," Clay spoke up. Everyone scattered, most of the guys heading to the garage to work on any cars that were there. I headed out too, and sat on the table that was in the garage. Jax was working on a bike, Chibs and Half-Sack were working under the hood of a Blue Volvo, and Clay headed to the office.

"Whatcha working on Jax?" I asked, trying to figure out what he had just welded.

"Updating my bike," Jax explained, pushing the helmet back. "You know much about bikes?" I shrugged.

"I know about my bike, and I can fix most basic problems with bikes and cars, but other than that, not much. Bowie's obsessed with fixing shit, and I got a few lessons from him."

"You have a bike?" Half-Sack questioned, looking up somewhat shocked as he did something with the motor of the Volvo.

"I used to. Asshole who blew up the warehouse blew up my bike too. Had a 2002 Softail. It rode beautifully," I reminisced, frowning at the thought that it was gone and that I didn't have anything to ride now.

"Beautiful bike. And I'm sure you looked sexy as hell riding it," Jax grinned at me. I blushed slightly at the compliment. A car honking interrupted our conversation. We all looked over as a blacked-out Ford F-150 pulled into a parking spot on the side of the garage. I grinned at the guys.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a date with a tattoo needle." I headed towards the clubhouse, meeting up with Jimmy, who quickly pulled me into a hug.

"How you been Ava?" It was a nickname that a few of the guys had for me. "Juice explained to me what happened."

"I'm not bad. Just working on getting over what happened," I explained as we headed into the clubhouse. "Where do you want to do this at?" He gestured over to one of the couches that were by the pool table.

"If you're cool doing it there, then that works perfectly for me." I nodded, and took a seat, watching Jimmy as he unpacked the large case that he had with him. Jimmy grabbed a chair from one of the many tables, I settled myself on the couch, lying down with my right arm facing him. Setting a few pillows under my arm to boost it up, he quickly swabbed the area with rubbing alcohol. Pulling a stencil out of a folder, he held it up so I could examine it.

"What do you think?" Jimmy asked. It was a vintage lightning bolt, with a banner wrapped around it. The banner said 'You never know where it's gonna strike.' I smiled.

"Exactly what I wanted." I settled comfortable onto the couch as Jimmy put the stencil on the inside of my upper right arm. I wanted it there so that people could only see it if I stuck my arm out and turned my palm to face the ceiling. It was private and yet people could still see it. The hum of the needle filled the air as Jimmy started the needle.

I winced slightly as he started. It didn't hurt as much as my other tattoos, but it stung slightly. I relaxed, as Jimmy worked on the outline. After a little while, a few of the guys wandered in. Tig and Juice sat in the other chairs, after grabbing me a bottle of water, and Chibs picked up my feet, sitting down on the end of the couch, and setting my feet on his lap. I smiled down at the Scotsman, who smiled back from behind his sunglasses.

"How ya feeling?" Jimmy asked as he worked.

"Surprisingly good. This one doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the others. In fact, if I couldn't hear the machine, I almost wouldn't be able to tell that you were inking me," I said, taking a look at how it was turning out. It looked amazing, Jimmy was almost three-fourths of the way done, and it felt like I had been sitting there for barely any time.

"Ya have other tattoos?" Chibs asked. "I don't see any." I felt my ears heating up as I could feel Chibs' eyes roaming over my body.

"That's because you can't see em. I have two, one behind my left ear and one on my left hip," I explained turning my head as far to the right as I could and pushing my hair back. I had a smiley face tattooed just behind my earlobe.

"That looks like the ones that Happy gets. Don't tell me you got that by killing someone," Tig pointed out. I shook my head no.

"My tribute to my brother."

"And the other?" Chibs asked. Reaching down, I pushed the top of my pants down slightly. On the inside of my left hip-bone, I had an ornate black, grey and red Anarchy A tattooed. The tip of it was just visible over the top of the jeans I was wearing, but I certainly wasn't going to pull my pants down far enough for them to see the whole thing. The bottom of the A was very close to my most intimate spot.

The doors to the clubhouse slammed open, and Clay walked in, visibly ticked off. "Chapel, now." Tig and Juice stood and followed him, as the rest of the Sons quickly filed in from wherever they had been. Chibs wiggled out from under my feet and, after taking a quick look at the tattoo so far, nodded his approval and headed to church, closing the doors behind me.

The voices from inside the chapel were muffled by the sound of the needle. Jimmy finished the outline and was almost done with the color. The lightning bolt was done in yellow, the banner was bright blue, and the writing inside of it was black. It was about five or six inches long, fitting in on my arm perfectly. I draped my other arm over my eyes, the hum of the needle lulling me into relaxation.

After about twenty minutes, Jimmy was done. Wrapping my arm up, I quickly headed to the mirror that was behind the bar to check it out. Tears filled the corners of my eyes, as I looked at it. The colors popped against my tan skin, and it was beautifully done. I threw my arms around Jimmy in thanks.

"What do I owe you for it?" I asked as he packed up.

"Nothing. Juice and Chibs covered it," he said, as he hugged me one more time and headed out. He had his shop to get back to, no doubt. My jaw dropped at the news that my best friend and the man that I was undeniably attracted to had paid for my tattoo.

Sitting at the bar, I downed a shot of Jack to help with the satisfied ache that always came after spending an hour under the needle. The doors to the chapel opened after ten minutes and everyone exited.

"So let's see it!" Jax called, as everyone headed to the bar for a drink. I held out my arm for them to examine.

"Very nice," Clay said, before him, Opie and Tig exited the clubhouse.

"So what's up?" I asked to the remaining Sons. Jax sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair.

"There's a forensic team headed to the warehouse tomorrow morning to test the bodies in the hole. The only thing that's going to stop them is a murder in Lodi, so we're heading to the cemetery so get bodies to set up a fake crime scene," he explained. I nodded in reply. _Makes sense. _Jax, Juice, Chibs, and the prospect all headed for the door.

"Hey Chibs, could I talk to you real quick before you leave?" I said, taking a few steps to follow the guys.

"Could it wait? We'll be back within tha hour. We're just goin to see if Skeeter can hook us up," he said, stopping next to the door. I nodded.

I headed out to the garage to see if I could help anybody while I waited for Chibs to get back. Getting a sudden idea, I headed to the office where Clay was.

"Hey Clay, could I talk to you real quick?" I asked. He nodded and stepped outside.

"I was thinking. When I was in Tacoma I did a lot to help out the club, checking the gun supply, helping with intel, pretty much anything I could do. So I was wondering, I really want to help you guys out, do anything I can, kinda earn my keep." I said all this very quick, trying to get all my thoughts out before he could possibly turn me down. Clay thought for a moment, but I couldn't tell what was going through his head behind his sunglasses.

"Yeah, I'm sure we could come up with some stuff for you to do, as long as it's not dangerous. If anything happens to you, I actually shudder to think of the shitstorm Happy would bring down on us," he said. A huge grin spread across my face.

"In fact, when the guys get back, I'll talk to Jax. You might be able to help them set up the crime scene, if you want," he propositioned. I nodded. I was eager to do anything that I could to pay Clay back for everything that he was doing for me.

"I'd love to." We both headed our separate ways, Clay back to the office where Gemma was, and me to the garage. After a little while, Jax and the Sons returned, and a few minutes later, someone else pulled into the garage in a vintage black car. The Sons headed into the clubhouse, while the mystery person exited the car. It turned out to be a blond woman, her face hidden behind large sunglasses, and as she headed towards the garage, I could see that she was dressed in very short shorts, and a revealing halter top. _A sweetbutt if ever I saw one,_ I thought as she walked up to where I was sitting on the table.

"Can I help you?" I asked, forcing a smile on my face. I never got along with any of the sweetbutts or crow-eaters when I was back in Tacoma, and I had a feeling that I wouldn't get along with any of the ones here.

"I'm looking for Jax," she said, pausing in front of me. I nodded my head towards the clubhouse. She left, her heels clicking on the cement. I shook my head. I could never figure out how some girls managed to walk in them.

"Be safe guys!" I called to Clay, Tig, Bobby and Opie as they left for the protection run that they were doing for the police chief. They waved in return, and then I headed inside, and down the hallway towards my room. The door to the room next to mine was closed, and as I passed it, moans echoed from it. Sighing to myself, I headed into my room and tossed myself down on my bed. I could still hear the moans from next door. Grabbing one of my pillows, I pulled it over my head.

I didn't hear the footsteps as the mystery person entered my room, but I did feel my bed depress as they sat next to me. Pulling my head out slightly, I opened one of my eyes to see who it was. I wasn't surprised to see Chibs lounging on my bed next to me, although I was a bit surprised at the lack of space between us. The bed was small enough that our bodies almost touched.

"Ya wanted to talk?" he said, looking over at me. I nodded, tossing the pillow off my head.

"Yeah. Jimmy told me what you and Juice did, and I wanted to say thanks." I threw an irritated look over at the wall from behind which the sounds were still coming.

"No problem love. We wanted to do anything tha we could to help. So how are ya?" he asked, somehow managing to ignore the background noise.

"I'm fucking sick of everyone asking me that. I'm shitty, my best friend is dead, and my back is itchy," I growled, finally cracking. "I'm sick of the hugs, the pity me looks, people acting like they know how I feel. I just want people to stop pitying me, stop acting like I'm made of glass and that I'm going to break at any moment. I can handle my own shit without everyone else acting like they know me."

Chibs was silent through my outburst, not saying anything until I finished. He stretched out his arms, wrapping around me and pulling me into his chest. Hot tears had started to run down my face, soaking the edge of my t-shirt.

"We don't think tha you're going ter break, Avery. We're just trying to make sure tha if ya do, that we're around to help in any way tha we can," he explained, his hand running up and down my back soothingly. I curled into his chest, glad for the contact. My head buried into his neck, inhaling deeply, loving the spicy scent that seemed to cling to him.

My stomach flipped again, and I suddenly felt myself growing more and more nervous. Here I was, lying in bed with a man that I had some kind of feelings for, feelings that went beyond just friendship. _ There's a part of me that wants to know everything about him, what makes him smile, what makes him tick. _

Leaning my head back, I shot a small smile at the Scotsman. He leaned down and rested his forehead against mine. My stomach flipped again.

"Feel better love?" he asked, his Scottish brogue deeper than usual. I couldn't see his eyes behind his sunglasses. I nodded. "Well I hate to say it, but I've gotta go. We left the prospect at the cemetery to dig up the Mexican that we need." He slid his arms out from around me, and stood up, straightning his shirt and cut. I stood up too.

"Well I'm going with you guys," I declared. Chibs' eyebrows raised. "I talked to Clay. I did a lot back in Tacoma to help out the club, and I asked him if I could help out here too. He said it was fine, and that I could go with you guys to help up the crime scene."

**Disclaimer:** Phew that was the longest chapter yet! The story is going to loosely follow the events of the seasons. Obviously right now, we're on season 1. So I hoped everyone liked it, the next chapter should be up in a couple days, and please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Sons of Anarchy

I headed out into the garage with Chibs to find the rest of the guys waiting. We split up, Juice and the prospect headed to a beat-up brown car, and me, Chibs and Jax headed to a black suburban that they had stolen earlier in the day from Darby. Jax headed for the driver's seat, and me and Chibs headed for the passenger seats.

"You coming along Avery?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice. I nodded.

"I asked Clay, and he said it was ok. I want to do anything that I can to help out the Sons," I explained, jumping in the backseat.

"Well, as long as Clay said that it's ok, then it's good with me," Jax commented, sliding in and starting up the car. "I just hope that you have a strong stomach." The ride to the cemetery was mostly quiet, the radio providing the only noise as it pumped out classic rock. I was content to sit and stare out the window at the scenery, until an idea popped into my head.

"So, Jax, it sounded like you were having a good time earlier," I grinned slyly. Chibs choked on his drink of beer, coughing roughly while laughing at the same time.

You heard that?" Jax asked, looking in the rearview mirror at me. I nodded.

"Anyone who was within 20 feet of that bedroom heard it for sure. I'm thinking I might have to invest in some earplugs," I laughed.

"Or you could be louder than me, drown me out," Jax commented, winking at me. I grinned slightly at the thought. _I just need to find a man who isn't interested in just a one night stand._ Almost against my will, my eyes slid up to the back of the man's head that was in the seat in front of me. _There's just something about him. That weird feeling I get in my stomach every time he talks to me, every time he touches me, and hell, I get it every time he looks at me. It's gotta mean something, I just don't know what. I know I'm definitely attracted to him_

"Earth to Ava," Chibs said, leaning around in the seat. I jumped slightly, pulling myself out of my thoughts. We had arrived back at the cemetery. Undoing my seatbelt, I climbed out of the Suburban, and followed Jax, Juice, and Chibs as they walked through the cemetery.

"Hey babe," Juice said, throwing his arm around me as we walked. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Babe?" He nodded.

"If was the first thing I could think of," he explained as we stopped at a grave. The prospect was in the grave, having already dug it up and pulled open the coffin. Juice jumped down into the grave with him.

"Who's your friend?" Juice chuckled. Half-Sack frowned, clearly looking uncomfortable at what he had been made to do.

"I hate this shit man, and I'm pretty sure karma is going to kick my ass for this," Half-Sack sighed.

"Relax, you're fine. Besides we have bigger problems at the moment than if Karma is planning a hit on you. I think we're gonna need a tow truck to get his fat ass out of there," Jax said.

Twenty minutes later, somehow, they managed to get him out of the coffin and into the back of the Suburban. I'll never know exactly how they did it, as I walked away to go check on Skeeter to make sure he still had the other body for us, and by the time I returned, they had already gotten him into the car. After collecting the other body, we hit the road. Half-Sack joined Juice in the compact, and after pulling the center console up, I slid into the front seat between Jax and Chibs.

We had rolled down the windows, trying to get rid of the smell, but it wasn't working as well as we would have liked it to. The smoke from Chibs and Jax's cigarettes worked to mask the smell slightly, the smoke from Chibs' wafting over my left shoulder from where his hand rested along the back of the seat. Reaching up, I plucked it from between his gloved fingers and took a drag off it.

"You smoke?" Chibs asked, one eyebrow raised. I nodded.

"Occasionally. I used to smoke all the time, but I cut back," I explained, taking one more drag, and then handing it back to him.

"It's a good look fer ya," Chibs commented, taking a drink of his beer.

"Well then. Thanks, I guess," I said, leaning back in the seat, trying to focus on not taking any deep breaths. Just then, two sports cars zipped past us, the second one jumping into our lane close enough to us that Jax had to yank the steering wheel to the right to avoid them hitting us.

"Shit!" The right front end of the Suburban bounced off the guardrail, busting out the headlight and sending me careening into Chibs. His left arm wrapped instinctively around my waist, pinning me to him, preventing me from bouncing around anymore, while he tried not to spill anymore of the beer that he was holding in his right hand.

Jax quickly got the SUV under control. It seemed to drive okay, so there was no damage to the wheels. We relaxed, but Chibs' arm stayed wrapped around my waist, holding me up against him. I relaxed, curling into him.

"Aw shit," Jax said, drawing our attention to the cop car that passed us heading in the opposite direction. As if this day couldn't get any worse. We all froze, hoping that he wouldn't notice the busted headlight, but it didn't work. The lights flashed a second later as he did a U-turn in the lane behind the other car, and pulled up behind us.

I could feel my stomach almost flip completely over as my nerves rose. _If they realize that the plates are bogus, they're gonna search. And if they do, we are going to be seriously fucked._ My hand started to tap nervously as the cop walked towards the driver's side.

From behind us, there was a sudden sound of tires squealing, and Juice rammed the car straight into the back of the cop's car. He and Half-Sack bailed, leading the cop towards them, while Jax and Chibs quickly jumped out. Jax sunk his knife into one of the tires, and Chibs ripped out part of the radio. Jumping back in, Jax did a quick U-turn while Chibs opened the back of the SUV. Juice and Half-Sack jumped in, managing to shut the door without losing any of the cargo, and we sped off.

It was another hour drive back to the warehouse in Lodi where we were setting up the 'crime scene.' It was spent in silence again, except for the radio. Juice and Half-Sack had managed to cram themselves in the back, as far from the bodies as they could get.

Once there, we pulled both bodies out of the car, and set about making it look like the Mexican had killed the white guy and had gotten shot in return. Chibs slowly drove the SUV forward until the front tire connected with the white guy's head. A sickening crunch echoed throughout the warehouse, and I shifted slightly, as my stomach twisted a bit at the sound. It took Jax, Chibs and Juice to pull the Mexican into the front seat.

Half-Sack pulled up in a beat-up compact he had somehow managed to get, and me and Juice pulled a few packets of fake blood from the front seat. Quickly spreading it over both bodies, Jax and Chibs pulled out their handguns. We stepped quickly out of the line of fire, and they fired, blowing holes into the windshield and body behind it. I shook my head slightly, trying to get rid of the slight ringing in my ears.

"You ok love?" Chibs asked, as Juice planted one of the guns, and we all piled into the compact. I nodded, the ringing in my ears stopped a few seconds later. There wasn't much room in it, so Half-Sack and Juice climbed in the back, Jax drove, Chibs sat in the passenger seat. I quickly looked at the back, trying to figure out if I could fit when Chibs grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap.

"Jax, you better not drive like an idiot," I growled, settling into my new spot.

"Don't worry love, I gotcha. You ain't goin anywhere," Chibs murmured into my ear, his arms wrapping around my waist and pinning me to him. A shiver ran up my spine as his breath was warm on the crook of my neck, his lips just barely brushing against my ear. My heart started to race, and heat pooled in the bottom of my stomach. Taking a deep, calming breath, I leaned back comfortably against him as we headed home.

About twenty minutes later, there was a small dinging sound, signaling that we needed gas. Jax easily guided the car into the nearest gas station.

"Hey look. It's that douchebag that cut us off," Jax pointed off as he parked next to the red car that had cut us off and sent us into the guardrail. Chibs groaned to himself, as I climbed off his lap, and we all got out of the car. I tried to suppress a yawn, but it didn't work. It was already pretty late.

"It's just gonna take a second," Jax said, easily convincing the other Sons. I waited by the car, as Jax and Chibs headed into the gas station. It was hard to tell much of what happened next from my position. I could see a flurry of movement, Chibs ducking behind the counter, and the clerk freaking out. It looked like they were heading for the exit, but they quickly ducked as a gun fired and the glass in the door exploded outward.

"Shit!" Juice and Half-Sack tore off towards them. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_, I thought to myself. This had quickly escalated from them teaching the guys a simple lesson, don't ever cut off a Son, to the guy firing a gun at them. It was a few seconds later, and the Sons ran back out towards the car. I let out the breath that I hadn't even realized I was holding, and I stepped back to let Chibs into the car. He yanked me down onto his lap, slammed the door shut, and we sped off.

"What the fuck happened?" I asked angrily, once we had been driving for a few minutes.

"The guy turned out to have a gun. He shot at me, and then the clerk lodged an axe in the back of his head," Jax explained, running his hand through his hair. My jaw dropped.

"Seriously? An axe in the back of his head," I gasped, realizing why we had hauled ass out of there. A guy had just been killed. "Oh dear lord."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- Sons of Anarchy

I sighed happily as I stepped under the stream of warm water. We had gotten back from the crime scene job late, past 2 a.m. I had woken up around 9 seeing as the garage was open then, and everyone had started to arrive, and let's face it, motorcycles aren't exactly quiet. Somehow managing to block out the sounds, I fell back asleep until noon.

Taking my time washing, I let my mind wander. The shower was the one place that I would be guaranteed to have alone time, so it was good thinking time. I had been in Charming for four days so far, and I was actually pretty happy. I was still devastated about Bolt, but I was starting to heal. _The tattoo definitely helped._ I looked down at the ink in question. It was healing beautifully, and the colors seemed to be brighter every day. I couldn't be happier with it.

Rinsing off, my mind wandered again, this time to _him._ My mind seemed to do that whenever I had any free time. _There's just something about him…Every move he makes, every time he purposely or accidently touches me, every time our eyes meet, it feels like I can't think or breathe. _As my thoughts turned to other, more inappropriate things, I could feel my skin heat up. The water, which had since turned cool, did nothing to cool me down. Leaning back against the chilly tile wall, my eyes slid shut, and let my thoughts wander.

_ There's something about him, something so addicting. The way he smells, some spicy scent that seemed to always cling to his skin, his rough hands, as they had gripped my waist the previous day, and held me to him. His Scottish brogue, that always seemed to turn husky whenever he was drinking and talking to me. And those damn eyes…they were the color of chocolate, but they always seemed darker when he looked at me from over his sunglasses…_

I gasped as the water suddenly turned ice cold. Quickly turning it off, I climbed out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy blue towel around myself. Quickly drying off, I pulled on a pair of jeans, and a bra, and headed out into my room to try and find a shirt to wear.

Digging through my drawers, I sighed angrily. Most of my shirts would show my shoulders or upper back, and at this point, those really weren't options. My back was healing nicely, but the skin was still pretty red, and there would be scars after it healed. Holding up one of my favorite tops, a black lace one-shoulder shirt, I sighed again and tossed it back in my drawer. _I just don't think I could bear showing off my back…Everybody would think it's gross and want me to cover up…._

Sighing again, I settled for a blue and white plaid button-up that sat a few inches above my hips. That, coupled with the low rise jeans I already had on, showed off the beginning of the Anarchy tattoo I had on my hip. Heading back into the bathroom, I ran the blow dryer over my hair, and once it was mostly dry, I tied it up in a messy ponytail. Pausing to pull on my boots, I headed out into the hallway and down into the clubhouse.

"She's finally awake!" Juice called from his spot on the couch. Flicking him the bird, I grabbed a bottle of water from behind the bar and sat down on the chair opposite.

"Where is everyone?" Just as I asked, the door to the clubhouse opened, and in walked Jax, Opie, Tig, Bobby, and Chibs. They all crowded around the bar, grabbing beers, and coming to join me and Juice. Jax and Opie joined Juice on the couch, Tig took the other chair, and Chibs picked me up and took my spot. I shot him a glare, and Chibs smirked at me in response.

"So what's up with tonight Jax?" Bobby asked, as I sat down on the arm of the chair. Chibs arm snaked up and his hand rested on my lower back, tracing small circles with his fingers.

"Gemma says for everyone to come over at 5," Jax explained. My eyebrow raised.

"What's going on tonight?" I asked, confusedly.

"We didn't tell you?" Jax asked. I shook my head. "Gemma's having a family dinner tonight, so you are definitely invited." I nodded.

"Hey, lazy asses, I'm not payin' you to sit around," Clay called from the open door. "Get your asses out here." Everyone slowly climbed to their feet and went their separate ways. Jax, Half-Sack, and Tig headed out to the garage, and I followed. Jax was working on his bike again, and Half-Sack and Tig were each working on separate cars.

"Hey whatcha working on Tig?" I asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Changing the serpentine belt," he gestured.

"Could you, uh, maybe show me how?" I said, tentatively. He looked at me from over his shoulder.

"You got an interest in cars?" I nodded.

"I got a few lessons from Bowie, but only in really basic stuff. Changing oil, tires, a few hoses, stuff like that," I explained.

"Sure, no problem. See this pulley? Use this ratchet, rotate it clockwise to increase the spring tension," he directed. I easily did what he said, and slipped the belt off. Removing it off the remaining pulleys, I pulled it from the engine. I tossed it in the trash, and wiped my hands clean, before turning back to Tig.

"Use the straight edge, make sure everything's in alignment. Everything's good, so you can put the belt on. Now you put the belt over all the pulleys except this one," he demonstrated, putting the belt on. "Increase the tension again, pull it over the last pulley, and slowly release the wrench, and you're all set." I spent the next few hours working on the other cars with Tig, Opie, and Half-Sack.

With about an hour until we had to be at Gemma's, everyone left, heading to their homes or apartments to get cleaned up. I headed for my room to wash up. Spending a few hours elbow deep in car engines got me pretty dirty. It took me about twenty minutes to get every last inch of oil off me, but I managed. Stepping back into my bedroom, I laid down on my bed. There was a sudden knock on my door.

"Come on in," I called. The door creaked open and in walked Chibs. My stomach flipped again as my eyes were drawn to him. He had on a plain black V-neck t-shirt under his cut, and a pair of dark jeans, and I had to admit, he looked really good.

"Ya comin ter Gemma's tonight?" he asked, casually leaning against the doorway. I nodded, but then a thought popped up.

"Actually I don't know. I don't have a way to get there," I said, sitting up. He looked at me over his sunglasses, which he always seemed to wear even when he was inside.

"Well it's a good thin I'm here then," he drawled, "Ya can ride with me love. Tha is, if ya want to." I froze. _Get your shit together Avery, give him an answer! You know you want to ride him…NO, wait, ride with him! _At that involuntary thought, I could feel myself flush. I quickly looked back up to see Chibs staring at me.

"Yeah, I'd love to."

"I'll meet ya outside in a few minutes," he said, leaving. I pulled on my boots, then on second thought, grabbed a fresh shirt out of my drawer. It was a green vest top, that stopped a few inches above my jeans, but it completely covered my upper shoulders. Checking myself out in the mirror, I grinned, then grabbed my leather jacket, and headed out.

The sun had already set, and just the overhead lights on the building were lit, casting everything into deep shadows. Chibs' motorcycle was the only one there, and the man in question was leaning casually against it. He looked very mysterious, and I had to admit, very sexy with the way he casually leaned against it.

I walked up to him, stopping a few feet from him. Shaking my hair back, I slid the helmet on that he handed me, and snapped it on. With only a grin, Chibs straddled his bike, turned the key, kicked up the kickstand, and stood the bike up.

"Yer chariot awaits love," he winked at me from over the top of the clear riding glasses he had traded his sunglasses for. Placing one hand on his shoulder for balance, I slid one leg over. Once I was seated, I put my feet up onto the pegs, and slid closer to Chibs.

"Ready?" he asked over the rumble of the engine. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his waist. He slowly pulled out onto the street, and gunned it. I could feel myself slid back slightly as he changed gears.

We easily drove through the streets. I sighed happily, as the warm air whipped through my hair. The speedometer crept higher and higher, and my arms tightened around his waist and my knees brushed against his thighs, the feeling of jean on jean. That combined with the realization of how close I was to him sent a thrill up my spine.

*Chibs PoV*

I don't let many chicks ride with me, but there was just something about Kat. The impractically high heels, the short tight skirts that the sweetbutts always wore, the fact that they would bitch if their hair got messed up by the wind. Ava wasn't like that. _Maybe that's why I like her so much. She rides; she just slapped on a helmet and climbed on. And now the fact that her arms are wrapped tightly around my waist, and that they were rather close to a certain other part of my body…_The sudden thought of her beneath me, a delicious friction between us as we writhed together on a bed, pushed its way into my mind. Suddenly my jeans were starting to feel a bit constricting. But those thoughts have to stop. Hap would kill me if I took one step towards his baby sister.

*Kat's PoV*

Chibs shifted slightly in front of me as we glided into the driveway of Gemma and Clay's house. There was already a line of motorcycles there, and Chibs parked next to them. I slid off, taking my helmet off, and set it on one of the handlebars. Once he finished, we both walked up the drive, and in through the front door.

As we walked in, there was a sudden explosion of noise. Everyone was crowded in the front room except for Gemma and a few of the other old ladies.

"Hey!" "Finally!" A few of the Sons yelled at us. I grinned, shrugging of my jacket and hanging it up on one of the hooks by the door.

"Beer love?" Chibs asked. I nodded, before heading into the front room and taking a seat on the couch next to Juice and Piney. Chibs returned a few seconds later, two beers in hand, and once he saw that there were no available seats, he gestured for me to stand up. Once I did, he took my seat, and pulled me down onto his lap.

I took the other beer from him, snapping off the top and taking a deep swig.

"So Ava, how're you enjoying Charming?" Piney asked.

"It's good. I'm having a lot of fun actually," I smiled at the older man. Ever since I had met him, he had turned into a sort of father figure to me. Before we could get any further into the conversation, Gemma stepped into the room and announced that it was time to eat. Everyone headed to the dinner table, Clay taking the head seat, Jax to his left, and leaving an open seat to his right for his queen.

As we were heading to our seats, Juice bumped purposefully into me. I looked up at him with an eyebrow raised seeing as he had almost made me spill my beer.

"I can tell you're enjoying Charming. You, uh, you looked pretty comfy back there," he smirked. I blushed, heat creeping up my neck to my ears. "Is there something going on there?" I shrugged. To be honest, I really didn't know what was going on between me and the Scotsman.

Ignoring the grin that had since spread across Juice's face, I took a seat in between him and Chibs. The table was already laden with food, corn, rolls, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a pile of steaks. My mouth started watering at all of the good smells.

The plates were all passed around so that everyone could get a little of everything. I loaded my plate with some of everything, and by the time I was done, you couldn't see any of the white plate.

"Jeez Ava, you eat more than I do," Juice commented from next to me. Everyone looked over at my plate, then at Juice's. His only had a bit less food than mine.

"Hey, what can I say Juice, I'm just that much tougher than you," I grinned wickedly while everyone laughed.

"Yeah just you wait. You're gonna regret saying that," Juice muttered at me. I raised my eyebrow a bit.

"Yeah Juice, what're you going to do about it?" I shot back. He smirked at me around a mouthful of mashed potatoes. At this point in time, our conversation had gotten everyone's attention.

"Do you remember that time at Lorca's birthday party about three years ago?" At that, I froze. The memory came back clear as day. We were having a party at the clubhouse in Tacoma for Lorca for his birthday, and the alcohol was plentiful. I had consumed entirely too much tequila and vodka, and at that point in time me and a few of the guys had decided to play a round of strip poker. _All I can say is thank God that I'm half decent at poker._ Juice had walked in when the one of the Sons had decided to do a shot off of my chest. That Son happened to be sitting across the table from me, but with the amount of alcohol that had been consumed that night, he didn't remember. The only reason I remembered was because Juice had filled me in on it.

"Shut up," I mumbled, taking a bite of my food. Juice grinned at the fact that he had managed to silence me. The rest of dinner was loud and full of laughter. I had a permanent smile on my face the whole night. _I feel like this is where I belong._


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Thanks to tigger64 and HaylsValo for reviewing! You guys are awesome and I can't thank you enough for reviewing! Hope everyone likes the new chapter, and if you like it please review!

I hissed in pain as I pinched my finger yet again. Whipping my hand out of the engine, I shook it in the air, trying to stop the stinging, all the while throwing swear words at the car. Behind me, Tig laughed.

"Ah come on Avie, I thought you were tough," he chided. Sticking my tongue out, I turned back to the engine. We were working on a plum colored Volvo, changing a few worn out piston rings. Tig had been giving me lessons the past couple days, much to my joy.

"Hey Avery, can I talk to you real quick?" Clay called from the doorway to the office. Grabbing a grease rag off the counter, I wiped my hands somewhat clean, and headed to the office. Clay was seated behind the computer, organizing papers.

"What's up Clay?" I asked, coming to stand in front of him. He finished organizing papers, putting some in folders, and leaving some out on the desk. Reaching down next to him, he pulled up a gray shirt which I recognized as the button-ups that the guys that worked at Teller-Morrow wore. He tossed it to me.

"You've been getting pretty handy with a wrench lately, so I figured it'd be good to have some new blood around the shop. So if you want the job, it's yours." I nodded quickly. Now that I was getting settled into Charming, my next step was going to get a job to get some cash inflow.

"Thanks Clay," I smiled at the older man. "I appreciate it a lot."

"Enough dicking around, get to work," he laughed. I exited the office, jogging across the parking lot and into the empty clubhouse. Heading down the hallway, I stepped into my room, closing the door behind me. I pulled my blue t-shirt off, leaving me just in a black camisole and my bra. Gathering my hair in my hand, I pulled it to the side and stepped into the bathroom. I leaned as close as I could to the mirror, examining my back. The skin was still very pink and red, but thankfully the itchiness had stopped, and the pain was fading with the help of the painkillers and the antibiotics the doctor had given me.

A knock at the door shook me out of my reverie. Crossing the room quickly, I opened the door slightly, and peeked around it. Chibs was standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe, and I felt my heart skip a beat at the look in his eyes.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to look anywhere but his eyes.

"Can I come in? I wanna talk to you about something," he rumbled, his Scottish brogue thick in the muttered request.

"Yeah, hang on, let me grab my shirt," I left the door, turning back to my bed, and tried to remember where I had put my Teller-Morrow work shirt.

"I'm leavin fer a couple days," I heard Chibs say from behind me. It didn't click in my brain at that moment that he had entered the room.

"Wait, what?" I went to turn around. Chibs' hands settled on my upper arms before I got the chance to, making me jump slightly, and I tried to turn around, seeing as my back was fully visible. There was a part of me that was petrified that he could see the scars, having a feeling deep down that he would be disgusted. It was childish, I knew, but I just couldn't help it.

"Clay wants me ter go up north wit McKeevy to see who he's meeting wit. _Avery relax!" _His hands held me in place with my back to him, as my struggles ceased. Chills ran up my spine as Chibs' hands drifted over my back, his fingertips rough as they gently brushed against my skin. All of a sudden, his hands left my back, and I took the opportunity to try to turn and face him.

"Stay," he ordered, his voice low but the command was harsh. I froze as his hands returned to my back. They pressed harder this time, massaging my back and shoulders, easily sliding under my shirt and bra straps.

His hands worked against my back, hands rough and callused, rolling, smoothing and squeezing. Pleasure shot through me and I could feel my knees threatening to give way. I bit my lip against the moan that threatened to escape from me, and heat pooled in my stomach as images flew through my head of Chibs' hands on other, more sensitive areas of my body.

His breath was hot on my neck as I could feel him step closer to me. I gasped, struggling to get a full breath, my body going into sensory overload as his hands dropped to the bare skin between my jeans and camisole. My head fell back onto his leather clad shoulder as his fingers slowly, tantalizingly slid back and forth across my skin, his left hand tracing my anarchy tattoo.

"Ava?" Juice called from the clubhouse. Chibs' hands left me, and I looked back at him, our eyes meeting. His eyes smoldered, dark with lust. Quickly grabbing my shirt, I pulled it on, and headed out into the hallway, desperate for a breath of fresh air.

"What do you want?" I asked Juice, while silently cursing my best friend, calling him every name in the book that I could think of. His eyebrow rose as my tone of voice, but he ignored it.

"Tig says he wants you to help him with something so he can give you another lesson." I nodded, stepping around him and heading out to the garage. Taking a deep breath of the fresh California air, trying to calm myself after everything that had just happened, I headed across the lot to the garage.

"Well about time. I've been waiting," Tig said, as he popped up the hood of a silver Chrysler Pacifica. Ignoring him, I came to stand next to him, examining the engine.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Gotta fix the torque converter," Tig said simply. I took a closer look at the car.

"Didn't they say that the Pacifica's had a serious amount of problems? Mostly with torque converters?" I asked. Tig nodded.

"Well look at that Avie, you do know something about cars," Tig grinned jokingly.

"Smartass," I shot back, throwing my grease rag at him, hitting him square in the face. We quickly got to work, Tig again instructing me on what to do, and me doing it. We joked a lot along the way; I don't know why, but I got along really well with the former Marine. A lot of people were creeped out by him and his "eccentricities" but they didn't bother me.

After about three hours of work, we were finally done. I groaned, stretching. My muscles had stiffened up after spending too much time bent over the engine. I wiped my hands clean, and headed over to the clubhouse to get a drink of water.

The roar of a motorcycle starting drew my attention. Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw Chibs sitting on his motorcycle, his bag strapped to his back, getting ready to leave. Our eyes met, and all the feelings that I had earlier came flooding back. My stomach flipped as I headed over to say goodbye.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me tight against his chest and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I inhaled deeply, loving that spicy scent that he had. He pulled back slightly, his lips brushing against my cheek.

"Ya better behave while I'm gone, ya here? If I come back and here ya got in trouble, you'll be in even more trouble," he said, as we pulled away from each other.

"I'll be in even more trouble, huh? What does that mean exactly?" I laughed, my hands planting on my hips. He looked over his sunglasses at me, a smirk pulling at the edges of his lips.

"Well you'll just have ta see, won't ya?" With a final smile, he drove out of the lot.

"Nevada?" I heard Gemma exclaim from her car across the lot. Looking over at the commotion, Jax and Bobby were heading towards their bikes, while the doctor, I had heard that her name was Tara, climbed into Gemma's car.

"Hey Jax, what's going on?" I asked as him and Bobby climbed onto their respective bikes.

"We got problems up in Nevada. A brother club, the Devil's Tribe, is getting pressed by the Mayans to kick up a vig. So we're going to check up on what's going on," he explained, snapping on his helmet, and starting up his motorcycle. I stepped back to let them go with a sigh, exchanging a worried look with Gemma. Just as one problem was cleared away, another popped up in its place.

Less than three hours later, a huge rumble filled the air as motorcycle after motorcycle pulled in Teller-Morrow. Peering out my window, trying to get a look at what their cuts looked like, I felt my heart swell as I saw the state Washington on the back. Tearing out of the clubhouse, I headed for the group of men and one in particular. I leapt at him, throwing my arms around his neck in a ginormous hug.

Happy grimaced at the very public show of affection, taking a moment to whisper in my ear "yeah kid, I get it, you missed me." He set me down gently on my feet, and I quickly embraced Lorca, Bowie and Donut. It had seemed like forever since I had seen my true family, and at that moment, it was just what I needed.

"What's going on?" I asked, after Bowie had set me down on my feet after giving me a huge bear hug.

"Mandatory ride to Indian Hills. Patch over," Clay explained briefly. My smile faltered slightly. That meant that they'd be gone until tomorrow, and I had been hoping that they'd be around for longer than that.

"Piney's staying here. Can you help him watch over the garage?" Clay asked, as everyone climbed back on their bikes. I nodded quickly.

"Yeah, no problem." I stood back, watching as for the third time that day, the Sons left Teller-Morrow. I headed back to the office where Piney was organizing paperwork.

"Hey, do we have any other cars to do today?" I asked, perching myself on the edge of the desk. He shook his head.

"As far as I can see, nothing else is scheduled for today. Just need to lock up the tools, but we're leaving the doors open. Tig and Juice are driving the barrels with the AK's up to Indian Hills tonight," he explained, putting the paperwork in one of the drawers and locking it. I frowned at that.

"I hadn't even noticed that they were still here," I said, craning my head back to try and see if they were in the garage. Piney shook his head.

"They're not. They went to clip a truck from Unser's." I nodded.

"If you want to head out, I'll close up after they leave with the barrels," I offered. He nodded, standing up.

"Thanks. I'm not feeling too good," he groaned, giving me a hug, before climbing on his motorcycle and heading off. I grabbed the keys off of the desk, and walked to the garage to start locking up anything that I could.

About an hour later, night had truly fallen, and the rumble of a truck announced the arrival of Juice and Tig. I headed out to the lot to see if I could help them. Juice backed the truck up, and Tig slowly climbed out of the passenger side. My eyebrows furrowed as I noticed that Tig was limping.

"What the hell happened to you Tig?" I asked, worry lacing my voice as he approached me.

"That _asshole_ decided to give the Doberman that was guarding the lot a steak full of crystal," he hissed, his hand rising from where it had been holding the back of his thigh. In the light from the overheads, I could see that his fingers were covered in blood.

"Oh shit," I said, my mouth falling open. "Come on, let's get you patched up." Tig followed me into the clubhouse. I headed behind the bar, grabbing the first aid kit from a shelf.

"Lie down, and drop your pants," I laughed. His eyebrow raised, but he undid his belt, pulling his pants down a bit, and laying down on his stomach. I sighed at the sight of the wound. The Doberman had taken a pretty good bite out of his leg. Grabbing a towel, I wet part of it, and set to wiping off the excess blood.

"Ya know Avery, I'm thinking that this is just your way of trying to get my pants off," Tig grinned up at me as I worked. At that I laughed.

"Right Tig. Because, ya know, I waited until a Doberman that had been fed crystal took a chunk out of your ass to get in your pants," I shook my head, cleaning out the wound, and bandaging it up.

"Well, looks like you're good. Let's go help Juice," I said, putting the first aid kit away. Tig pulled his pants up and buckling his pants. We both headed for the door.

"Yeah I still think you want in my pants," he smirked as he walked past me, pinching my ass. I squeaked loudly at his actions.

"Whatever makes you happy Tiggy," I smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-sons of anarchy

The next week seemed to fly by and drag by all at the same time. I worked everyday at Teller-Morrow, yet every time I heard a motorcycle, I got excited. God, what the hell is that man doing to me? I asked myself again as I spun around at the sound of a motorcycle pulling in, only to discover that it was Jax. I had been waiting eagerly everyday for Chibs to return, and having not seen him yet was driving me slightly insane.

Although I hadn't had much time to focus on him not being here, he seemed to invade every thought that I had. Everything reminded me of him, and it was distracting. We had had a hectic week at Teller-Morrow. There was an influx of cars that need fixing, and plenty of club business that kept the rest of the guys busy. Otto had asked us to protect a friend of his when he got out of Stockton; his name was Chucky, and he was interesting, to say the least. He had a problem keeping his hand off of his dick.

I finally set my grease rag down, having finished working on yet another car, and looked up just in time to see a huge truck pull into the lot. Both doors opened, and Juice stepped down from the drivers side. A huge grin split my face, and I jogged out to give him a hug.

But before I could get there, Clay was there first, grabbing Juice immediately around the neck and pulling him over to the side. I frowned, until I noticed that a girl had stepped down from the other door on the truck. Oh boy.

"Who the heck is that?" I asked Juice, once he had been released and was walking towards me. He gave me a quick hug before answering.

"She's from Indian Hills, and, well, Clay and her messed around a little. It was his way of getting back at Half-Sack for something that he had said."

"So you brought her here?" I hissed, in shock. He quickly shook his head.

"I didn't have any choice. She jumped in the cab, and what was I gonna do? Kick her out," Juice mumbled, trying to explain himself. I shook my head again, walking away. If there was one thing that I didn't want to get involved in, it was this.

Just as I was about to head into the clubhouse to get a drink, a motorcycle roared into the lot behind me. I didn't look this time, figuring that it was just one of the guys, instead pulling the door open and heading for the bar. Pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels from below the bar, I poured myself a shot before easily downing it, loving the burn as it went down. The clubhouse door opened at that point just as I was putting the bottle back, and I peered around the corner to see who it was. Who I saw made my jaw drop.

Chibs was standing there, pushing his sunglasses up, his face splitting into a huge grin when he saw me. I couldn't help myself; I launched myself at him, throwing my arms around him into a huge hug.

"Happy to see me love?" he said, as he set me back down.

"I don't know. What would ever give you that idea?" I giggled, causing him to laugh, a deep, rich sound. "Well anyway, welcome back to the craziness."

"Yeah, Clays been keeping me up to speed. Sounds like everything has been just cheery here," he commented, before the sudden sound of police sirens drew our attention. We both looked quizzically at each other, before going for the door. That was never a good sound to hear.

Two black cars had pulled into the lot, and a few people dressed in suits had stepped out, flashing badges. One of the agents, a female with blonde hair, had stepped forward, and two more agents were walking Clay to one of their cars.

"What tha bloody hell is goin' on out here," Chibs asked Tig as we came to stand next to him.

"They're saying that there was a shooting this morning, and they traced a phone call from one of the shooters phones to Teller-Morrow. So they're taking Clay in," Tig explained. I sighed. Great, more problems.

The next few hours passed in a blur. We were waiting to hear anything from Clay or the lawyer, but we hadn't. And as if the day couldn't get any worse…

"I just heard from my informant. The Feds have a warrant to search our warehouse," Juice came in through the doors. At that, my head fell into my hands. We had a truck full of illegal guns and gun parts, and the Feds were watching us, so we couldn't just drive off with them.

The rest of the day turned into a major headache. We managed to hide the guns before the Feds came, and when they came, we all had to lay down on the cement outside while they searched. And of course, they had trashed the clubhouse. Jax's room had been completely destroyed, his stuff thrown everywhere. My room had suffered that extreme of treatment; they had tossed all my clothes out of the drawers, but that was it.

"Hmm, I'm bettin ya look pretty damn good in this," a familiar voice drawled behind me. I turned around, and what I saw made me blush immediately. Chibs was standing there, one of my lacy black thongs hanging from his fingers.

"Give me that," I laughed, snatching it from him and putting it back in the drawer. "And, yes, I look damn good in it," I whispered seductively to him as I walked past him and down the hall. A shiver went up my spine as I heard him growl from behind me. Leaning against the bar, I accepted the shot that Half-Sack handed me.

"So, I hear that someone has a birthday tomorrow," Piney said, looking over at me. I nodded, downing my shot.

"Well I hope you're ready for a party," Tig said, as him and Jax joined the group at the bar. I laughed.

"Hey, I could handle the parties in Tacoma, so this shouldn't be that hard." Everyone laughed. "But just in case, I think I'm gonna hit the hay now, so I'm not tired." I hugged everyone good night, before slipping into my pajamas and curling up under the blankets.

Ya know, just for once, I'd like to sleep in on my birthday and not be rudely woken up. But apparently, that was not going to happen this year. It was still somewhat early, around 10:30 a.m., when Juice came sprinting into my room and dove onto my bed, right on top of me.

"What the fudging hell?" I growled loudly, spinning over to see the Puerto Rican biker clambering off my bed, and grinning at me.

"Happy birthday!" he crowed, backing up slowly towards the door.

"Oh, you're in trouble." My frown quickly turned into a smirk as I leapt out of bed and went tearing down the hallway after him. He skidded to a halt and turned towards the doorway leading out to the lot. I paused only to grab a hand towel and fill it with ice, then I went running after him, my bare feet silent against the floor.

"If I step on a rock, you are double dead!" I yelled, laughing as I chased him around the lot, the rest of the Sons looking on, laughing. At that, Juice stopped.

"What're you gonna do, kill me then bring me back to life?" he asked, and I tried to take advantage of the fact that he had stopped, desperately reaching for the back of his jeans. I managed to get a hold of them, pulling them back far enough to dump the towel full of ice down his boxers.

"Holy fuck, Mary mother of God, that's cold!" he hollered, dancing on the spot to try and get the ice unlodged from next to his ass. I doubled over laughing, eventually falling down on my ass onto the cement.

"Do I even ask?" Clay said, coming to stand next to the table where Tig, Chibs, Jax and Opie had been sitting, but they were now almost falling off the table, they were laughing so hard. I shook my head.

"It's really best to not ask sometimes," I said, standing up and brushing off my sweatpants. Juice had since stopped dancing, a pile of ice next to him.

"Was the ice really necessary?" he grumbled, as we walked back to the table. I nodded.

"You've known me for a while, and you never noticed that when you do something like that, I retaliate?" He shrugged.

"I guess I never thought you would dump ice down my pants," he said, taking a drink of beer.

"You never expected that of me? Wow, I'm honestly shocked. Besides, it's my birthday, I do what I want!" I chuckled, before heading inside to change out of my pajamas. The rest of the day flew by, night falling quickly, and the party started. Already, rock music could be heard blasting through the lot, and the smell of grilling food was making my mouth water. I was almost ready, having slipped into a lacy black thong and a black strapless bra. Just as I was about to put my dress on, there was a knock at my door.

I tiptoed over to it, hiding behind it as I opened it. What I saw made me let out a cry of excitement and pull the person into the room. It was one of my good friends from Tacoma, Tara. She was one of the club hang-arounds, but unlike the rest, me and her had gotten along from day one.

"What're you doing here!" I giggled, throwing my arms around her in another hug.

"It's your birthday! Ain't no way I'm missing it for anything. And I figured you could use a familiar face. Get dressed and let's go!" she laughed. I eagerly pulled my dress on, a black stretch one-shoulder bandage dress, and then slid on a pair of black flats. Me and heels, especially combined with alcohol, just don't mix.

"Well there's tha birthday girl!" I heard Chibs from behind me. I turned around to face him, blushing as I felt his eyes roam up and down me. Juice was with him, handing me a red cup full of dark liquid.

"Jack and Coke. Well, mostly Jack," he explained. I took a long drink, feeling the familiar burn. The next few hours passed in a blur. There was a lot of alcohol, and I found myself outside with Tara, as we danced to one of my favorite songs, Bang Your Head by Quiet Riot.

"So you have to tell me, who is that guy with the sunglasses over there. He has barely taken his eyes off of you the whole night," Tara asked, as we danced. I didn't even have to look to know who she was talking about.

"That's Chibs." Her eyebrows rose at the smile that split my face as I thought about the Scotsman.

"And what's going on there?" I shrugged.

"I really don't know. As of right now, nothing," I explained.

"Rightttttt. Well, with the looks he's giving you, coupled with the fact that he doesn't take his eyes off you, there is definitely something going on," she giggled, winking at me.

"Well you have fun with your theories, my cup is empty," I laughed, heading towards the clubhouse to get something fresh to drink.

"Hey, Kat!" Gemma called. I smiled at the beautiful Queen of Bikers as she embraced me. She had become like a mother to me in the few weeks that I had been in Charming.

"Some people had some presents for you, so I put them in your room."

"Thanks! I appreciate it," I said, adding some Jack to the little bit of Coke that was in my cup. She nodded, as I headed back out to the party. And just like that, my attention was needed again. This time to a certain blonde biker.

"Kozik!" I squealed happily, as he swept me into a hug.

"Having fun short stuff? You look awesome," he said, spinning me around to get a good look at me. I nodded.

"Everyone's been so good to me, I've having a blast. I'm glad you could be here!" I was ecstatic to see one of the men who was a brother to me. I looked over his shoulder to see Tig, who had a dark look on his face when he saw Kozik. I sighed.

"What's wrong love?" he asked, taking a drink of beer.

"Look, I know you and Tig have your differences, but please don't get into a fight tonight alright? You guys are both really good friends of mine, and I want both of you here, so promise, no punching each other tonight, alright?" I sighed, knowing full well that when Kozik and Tig came face to face, it could and would quickly spiral out of control. He nodded.

"Just for you Ava. No fighting, cross my heart," he said, drawing an X across his heart with his finger. I laughed, before walking on to go talk to Tig, who was still glaring at Kozik.

"Hey relax. No fighting, it's my party," I muttered to the former Marine. He growled, looking down at me. "I mean it!"

"Alright fine. Just for you," he smiled, walking in the opposite direction of where Kozik had been. I sighed, shaking my head. They need to be locked in a room together and air out everything that happened between them. I looked up then, feeling eyes on me, to see Chibs leaning casually against the wall of the clubhouse. I smiled, our eyes meeting.

His hand rose, beckoning me over. I walked towards him, somewhat shaky; maybe the alcohol wasn't such a good idea. We stepped behind the clubhouse, it was private, with no one around.

"So, havin fun love?" he asked, the amount of alcohol he was consumed making his voice huskier than usual. I nodded.

"You?" I asked in return, trying to hide my nervousness at being alone with him.

"Of course. Especially seeing ya dressed like that. Makes havin to wade through all tha drunk Sons worth it," he said, his eyes smoldering as they met mine. I swallowed nervously, suddenly struck by the inability to think of anything to say.

"Aw fuck it," he growled, taking a step towards me, his hands coming up to cup my face.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-Sons of Anarchy

His hands cupped my face, tilting my head back slightly as his lips came crashing down on mine. His wet tongue traced the seam of my lips, silently begging for entry, and I didn't hesitate to allow him in. My heart started racing, and my mind spun. I had imagined this moment before, but I had no idea it would feel this good. Chibs' hand rose, entangling itself in my hair, and he pushed up against me, backing me into the brick wall.

While his hand protected the back of my head from the brickwork, his other hand dropped to my thigh, curling around it. I moaned at the feeling of his rough hand gripping me behind my knee, hooking it around his hip. My hands slipped through his hair, tugging at the ends to pull him closer. He tasted better than I had imagined, spicy and masculine, and it had me wanting more.

Our tongues tangled urgently, the need for skin-on-skin contact becoming almost overwhelming. Chibs' hand dropped from behind my head to wrap around my other leg, pulling it up around his hip so that he was supporting me. A moan ripped from my throat as he pushed me harder up against the wall, grinding himself into my core. I groaned at the feeling of the very clear effect that I was having on him. His hands pushed my dress up, revealing my ass, and his hands gripped the newly revealed flesh, kneading it.

"Chibs," I managed to gasp, breathless, as he nipped at my lower lip, then kissed a burning trail down my neck. I gasped again, my body arching towards his, as his teeth sunk into my neck, pleasure and pain flooding my body. Chibs' tongue darted out, soothing my neck, and he moved down my neck to my collarbone, biting and licking as he went.

My hands drifted down from around his neck to slide under his shirt. I softly raked my nails across his tensed stomach, muscles under smooth skin rippling. He pulled back from my neck at that moment, resting his forehead against mine. Chibs' eyes were dark, looking black in the absence of the light, but there was an almost animalistic look in them.

His head ducked down again to devour my lips hungrily. I moaned into his hot mouth, one hand dropping from his stomach to cup the bulge that was pushing against the front of his jeans. He groaned into my mouth, a shudder running through his body.

"Ava," he groaned again, as I massaged his length through his jeans, alternating from feather-light to squeezing. His groan set a chill up my spine, the combination of his accent and how husky his voice had become melting me from the inside out. A sudden whimper ripped from my throat as his fingers gently trailed over my panties, teasing me.

"Hey Ava?" a sudden voice called out, slightly audible over the loud music. We both froze, Chibs setting me down on my feet slowly.

"Ava?" the voice called out again, closer and louder this time. I quickly adjusted my dress and hair, casting one last longing look at Chibs, before stepping out from behind the clubhouse. Juice was heading towards me, obviously looking for me.

"What's up?" I said, still slightly breathless from what had just happened. He either didn't notice it or ignored it.

"We got a present for you," he explained, gesturing over to the main part of the parking lot. "Clay figured it was a good time to show you." I nodded, following him back to the party, trying to calm down. Every nerve ending was on fire still.

"There she is!" Clay roared, as I walked up to him. There was something large behind him, covered with a black tarp. I blushed slightly as he pulled me in next to me, and everyone's attention turned to us. My brother and the rest of the Tacoma crew were off to the side, and I noticed that Chibs had joined the rest of the Charming Sons standing next to us. I blushed even harder as memories of what had just happened flew through my mind again.

"So we were all putting our heads together about a week ago, racking our brains about what to get you for your birthday, when surprisingly, Juice came up with a perfect idea. I know you need one, that you used to have one, and that you would definitely want another one. So I figured, why the fuck not." At that point, he nodded to Jax and Opie, who were standing next to the black tarp, and they grabbed it together, and pulled it off.

My jaw dropped, almost hitting the ground, as I saw what was underneath it. It was a 2003 Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide. It was all black, except for the chrome pipes. It was quite possibly the most badass thing I had ever seen. It had been altered slightly, with drag bars, was computer programmed to help it run better, and had a spot to plug my iPod in (Which I figured was Juice's idea, seeing as his bike had the same thing).

I was still speechless as I walked around it, admiring it from all angles. I was stunned that the club had gotten it for me; I had figured that I was going to have to work my ass off for another 6-9 months before I could even think about buying a new bike, but here one was.

"I don't even know what to say," I mumbled as I threw my arms around Clay.

"It's ok Avery, you don't need to say anything," he said, before releasing me, and I went to embrace each of the Sons.

"If I hadn't drunk so much alcohol and wasn't wearing a short ass dress, I would say 'Fuck it; let's go for a ride right now.' But I guess I'm going to have to wait," I sighed, looking lovingly at the bike. Everyone laughed at my comment, before scattering, each person going back to what they were doing before Clay's announcement.

"Well it'll be here for you in the morning," Clay chuckled, handing me the key. I smiled, thanking him again, before heading inside to put the keys away. Tossing the key down on my bedside table, I sat down on the edge of my bed. _I can't believe everything that has happened in the last few months. What started out so horribly, with Bolt's death, had gotten better over the last few months. Tacoma was still hunting the killer down, and even though they hadn't found him yet, I was starting to feel better. But I still had an idea about who did it. I hadn't seen the person in years, yet I still felt like he was hanging over my shoulder like a dark storm cloud. But I still didn't know how to approach Happy and Lorca about it….All I wanted was for it to not rain on my parade…_

A sudden knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Chibs was standing there leaning against the doorframe. I blushed for what felt like the millionth time that night at the look in his eyes. They were still dark, and smoldering. I stood up nervously, our eyes locked together, as he kicked the door shut, locking it, and crossing the room quickly.

Our lips crashed together for the second time that night. I moaned, as his lips massaged mine. I gripped his shirt as our kisses became more urgent, lust quickly rising between us as it had earlier when he had me pinned to a wall. His hands quickly worked on pushing my dress down, until it pooled around my feet. I quickly worked his cut off, setting it down on a chair, before his hands palmed my behind. I pushed my hips into his, grinding against him, causing him to groan deep in his chest.

His lips blazed a hot trail down my neck, before burying his face in my chest, licking and sucking along my breasts. I moaned, heat pooling quickly in the apex of my thighs, before my hands slid under his shirt again. My nails raked along his abs, before grabbing the hem of it, and trying to get it off him. Chibs pulled back for a second, yanking it quickly off, before returning to my neck.

He slowly backed me up until my knees hit the edge of the bed. Gripping me to him, he lifted me up, and tossed me onto the bed. I looked up at him, biting my lower lip at the sight before me. Grabbing my shoes, Chibs tossed them across the room, before settling himself on top of me. Sliding one hand underneath me, he easily undid the snap on my bra, and tossed it across the room to join my shoes.

I let out a throaty moan as he buried his face in my chest again, this time rolling his tongue over my nipple. My hand buried in his hair, trying to keep him in place as pleasure flooded my body. Chibs kissed a trail across my chest, sucking my other nipple into his mouth, and gently biting down. I whimpered again as he slowly traveled down my stomach, kissing and nibbling as he went. His fingers hooked my thong, dragging it down my leg, and adding it to the growing pile of clothes.

He forcefully pulled my thighs open, nipping gently at the newly revealed skin. I couldn't take it anymore; I pushed my hips towards him, hoping that he would get the hint. Pinning my hips down, he dipped his head down. My fingers entangled themselves in the bed sheets as his tongue took the first swipe over my wet heat. Incoherent words left my lips as he slid his tongue up and down my slick flesh up to my clit, licking and sucking the sensitive nub.

My head fell back, as the familiar feeling of an impending orgasm washed over me. It had been a long time since any guy had done this to me; I hadn't realized how much I had missed it until now. My grip on the sheets tightened as he carried on with his assault. I cried out his name as I came, along with a flurry of other curse words. He chuckled as he kissed his way back up to my ear.

"What's so funny?" I asked as I undid his belt buckle, before sliding his jeans down his thighs.

"Ye taste like a cream soda," he chuckled in my ear, before kicking his jeans and black boxer briefs off. Before he could go any further, I reached down and ran my hand along his length, loving the feel of him. He was hot and hard. Chibs groaned before pushing my hand away and pushing the tip of his length into me. I groaned as he pushed completely into me, filling me completely.

"Oh god," I whimpered, my nails raking down his back, causing him to hiss. He plunged into me harder, a growl escaping him as he moved faster and faster. My back arched, wanting to get closer to him with each thrust. His hands left me, grabbing my hands and pinning them above my head. Our groans filled the room, barely audible over the driving rock music from the continuing party. Each of his thrusts pushing me closer and closer to the edge. My body exploded again, shuddering as I climaxed. A groan ripped from his throat as he thrust into me a few more times, then he came with a loud groan.

My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. Slipping out of me, Chibs collapsed on the bed next to me, pulling me into his chest. My head buried in his neck, while his arms wrapped possessively around me, crushing me to him. We stayed like that for a while, ignoring the party that was still raging on outside.

"Ah fuck, I almost fergot," Chibs mumbled, sliding out from underneath me, pausing to pull his boxer briefs on, then crossing the room to the small pile of presents that I hadn't even noticed. He rooted around for a moment, before coming back to the bed with a small wrapped box in his hand. Picking me up, Chibs pulled the sheets back, and set me under them, before joining me.

"What's that?" I asked him eagerly as he handed me the small box.

"Well, Gemma helped me pick it out, so ah hope ya like it," he rumbled, sliding his arms back around me, and settling me against his chest. I hastily tore the paper off, chucking it across the room, to reveal a square white box. Pulling the lid off, my jaw dropped at what was inside. Nestled on a square of batting, was a black braided leather charm bracelet.

"Do ya like it?" Chibs asked, worry flooding his voice. I spun around, throwing my arms around his neck, and kissing him hard on his lips. He growled in response, his hand roughly entangling itself in my hair, holding me in position. I moaned as he flipped me over again, pinning me down on the bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Thanks to wrestlenascargirl, otte1978, tigger64, princessprose, Scotswoman, Julia and HaylsValo for your reviews! I apologize profusely for how long this chapter took, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go the route that I ended up going, but I hope everyone likes it! I don't own Sons of Anarchy, or the song Open Wounds by Skillet.

_His eyes flashed dangerously, nothing but malice behind them. I will never understand what I did to make him despise me so. I kept driving, trying to shake it from my mind, and trying to ignore the feeling of dread that was bubbling up from my stomach. An hour later, all I could remember was the heat. The explosion, the searing heat, as fire licked its way along my back. Indescribable agony.._

I woke up with a start, sitting straight up in bed, a cold sweat enveloping me. My hands cradled my head as I tried to erase the nightmare from my mind. _His eyes…_They had been in my nightmares for years. Some people had fears of falling or of dolls, but I feared the man that those eyes belonged to.

My hands shook as I slowly slid out of bed, trying not to disturb Chibs, who was still fast asleep. Quickly pulling on my bra and underwear, I slid on a pair of fresh jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt. It wasn't until I crossed the room to grab my riding boots that I noticed the small pile of presents in the corner. I picked up the pile and brought them into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Starting with the top present, I tried to undo the ribbon that surrounded it.

"Fuck!" I hissed, pushing the present away from me. My hands were shaking too bad to even untie it. Tiptoeing back into the bedroom, I grabbed my knife out of my purse, and cut the ribbon off. Inside was a brand new helmet for my bike. My jaw dropped even more as I unwrapped the rest of the presents. There was a pair of clear riding glasses, a pair of thick leather riding gloves, a heavy-duty leather jacket that was much warmer than the one I already had, and a pair of riding chaps.

Sighing again, I looked into the mirror. Dark circles had appeared under my eyes, and I still felt like I was going to be sick. I hadn't had a nightmare like that in a long time and up until now, I was sure that I had been cured of them. _Those eyes… _I needed to get out of here.

Pulling on the jacket, grabbing my sunglasses, my iPod and the keys off my bedside table, I quietly crept out of the room. Striding down the hallway, I grimaced as I looked around the clubhouse. Sleeping bodies were everywhere, sprawled on the bar, on the pool table, everywhere. The smell of alcohol and smoke seemed to pour out of every piece of furniture and person. The place had turned into a mess overnight. Picking my way around people, I pushed the door open.

Blinking against the sudden harsh light, I pushed my sunglasses onto my nose, and walked around the side of the building. My motorcycle was sitting there, the cover still over it. I yanked it off, folding it and tossing it onto a nearby picnic table. Pulling my jacket and my helmet on, I straddled the bike, lifting it upright and pushing up the kickstand. I plugged my iPod into the holder, put my headphones on, and slid the key into the ignition.

The bike purred to life beneath me. I slowly rode across the lot, getting used to the way it felt to ride again. Driving through Charming, I headed for the freeway. I had no idea where I was going; I just wanted to get away.

I had no idea how long I had been riding for, the only thing that I noticed was the breeze that had begun to smell salty, and the sign that I was approaching that advertised a nearby beach. Turning off the freeway, I followed the signs down a small dirt road. Parking the motorcycle to the side, I walked down the rest of the road for a few minutes until I got to the beach. It was small with a few large rocks both in the water and partly buried in the sand. Pulling my boots and socks off, I stepped onto the sand.

It was cool and soft beneath my feet as I crossed to one of the rocks that sat almost touching the waves as they broke on shore. I settled myself cross-legged on it with a sigh. There wasn't any noise, except for the waves crashing and the music that was still playing on my iPod. I had always used to go to the beach when I was stressed out. It was the best drug; it reached something deep inside of me and soothed me, like the lullaby my mother used to sing me.

_In the dark with the music on_

_Wishing I was somewhere else_

_Taking all your anger out on me_

_Somebody help_

My shoulders slumped as the familiar song came on. It's rare that a song can so perfectly describe your life, yet when you hear it, you never want to hear it again. It was the perfect song for _him_.

_I would rather rot alone_

_Then spend a minute with you_

_I'm gone, I'm gone_

It started off so normally. Happy was in prison for two years, and I had met _him_ two months after Happy had left. The Sons had tried to keep me close, Bolt especially, but I couldn't help it. There was something about _him_ that drew me in.

_And you can't stop me from falling apart_

_'Cause my self-destruction is all your fault_

If someone asked me to pinpoint exactly where it had gone wrong, I wouldn't have been able to tell them. Maybe I was just blind, or maybe I just didn't want to admit it. Although, I could take a guess.

_How could you, how could you, how could you hate me?_

_When all I ever wanted to be was you?_

_How could you, how could you, how could you love me?_

_When all you ever gave me were open wounds?_

_Open wounds_

Bolt had driven me up to the prison to visit Happy, even though he hated for me to see him like that. We were driving home when Bolt had gotten a call from Lee asking him to come to the clubhouse, so Bolt dropped me off at his apartment where I was staying. _He_ was waiting for me on the steps. Even to this day, I could still remember his voice as he asked me who that guy was with the motorcycle and the cut. I tried to explain as best I could, but my attempted explanation was met with a hard slap across my cheek.

_Downstairs the enemy sleeps_

_Leaving the TV on_

_Watching all the dreams_

_We had turn into static_

When Bolt returned later that night, I had locked myself in my room, and was curled up in the corner with an ice pack over my now-black eye. Bolt yelled at me to open the door, to tell him what was wrong, to explain why the door that was rarely ever shut much less locked was now locked. It took me twenty minutes and Bolt going hoarse before I opened the door. He took one look at me, before striding furiously down the stairs and going after _him._

_Doesn't matter what I do_

_Nothings gonna change_

_I'm never good enough_

But that just made it worse. Very quickly, I was forced to choose between _him_ and the Sons, while he made it very clear that if I didn't make the right choice, then something very bad would happen to the ones closest to me.

_And you can't stop me from falling apart_

_'Cause my self-destruction is all your fault_

I could never figure out how I didn't see the man that _he_ truly was sooner. I had been blind and now I was suffering the consequences.

_How could you, how could you, how could you hate me?_

_When all I ever wanted to be was you?_

_How could you, how could you, how could you love me?_

_When all you ever gave me were open wounds?_

It went on for a year. A year of hell, of torture. I slowly pulled away from everyone, scared that if I was seen talking to them,something would happen. I even pulled away from Bolt. And all the while, the bruises got darker, and the scars would never fade. They weren't visible on the outside, but they were there.

_Tell me why you broke me down_

_And betrayed my trust in you_

_I'm not giving up, giving in_

_When will this war end?_

_When will it end?_

Hot tears had started to pour down my face as the song played. I didn't know how I ever managed to get away from _him_; maybe it was when Happy got out of prison. Maybe it was when _he_ started to delve into a movement that I wanted no part of.

_You can't stop me from falling apart_

_You can't stop me from falling apart_

_You can't stop me from falling apart_

_'Cause my self-destruction is all your fault_

It was one year before Bolt died that I could finally look into the mirror again and not have to pile on makeup to hide the bruises. Within a few months, I could finally look in the mirror without being scared of what would be looking back.

_How could you, how could you, how could you hate me?_

_When all I ever wanted to be was you?_

_How could you, how could you, how could you love me?_

_When all you ever gave me were open wounds?_

I was riding to meet Bolt at the warehouse to bring him food while he stocked weapons. I looked over while at a stoplight, and there he was. It had been a year since I had seen him, but his eyes were still the same. He smiled lazily at me, even raising his hand and waving, but the smile never reached his eyes. They were still cold, and all at once, my stomach curled and fear swept over me. Trying to shake it from my mind, trying to call it just a mere coincidence that he was in town, I continued to the warehouse.

_How could you, how could you_

_How could you, how could you_

_All I ever wanted to be was you_

_All you ever gave me were open wounds_

I swore up and down that I had no idea who blew up the warehouse that day, but I lied. There was something deep down inside of me, that place that I never want to go, that kept me up at night. I had a feeling who did it, in fact it was more than a feeling, but I had no way to prove it. All I had was the memory of those eyes…

I sat there most of the day, letting the waves and my music relax me. Hours had passed before I slowly climbed off the rock, my muscles screaming at me as I tore them from their sedentary position. Mindlessly sliding on my socks and boots, I continued back down the path. Night had started to fall, the sky turning a deep purple. My bike was where I left it, helmet propped on the seat, jacket it next to it. Pulling the jacket on, I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I had 7 missed calls, 3 from Chibs, 3 from Juice and 1 from Gemma, along with 4 voicemails. Hitting a button, I held the phone up to my ear to listen to them.

"Hey love, jus' wonderin' where ya went. Ah didn't like waking up alone."

"Hey Ava, you've been gone for a while, you're starting to worry me. Call me when you get this, so I don't have to come find you."

"I don't know where you are AVery, but you need to call me. Chibs is starting to panic, he hasn't heard from you all day, and in fact, I even think Tig is worried. Just call me and let me know where you are."

"Love, please answer your phone. It's startin to get dark, and ah swear, if ah don't hear from you soon, I'm comin to find you. Call me, or ah swear, you're in serious trouble." I couldn't help but smile at the worry that flooded the Scotsman's voice.

The motorcycle roared to life beneath me, gravel kicking up behind me as I headed back down the road and onto the highway. The drive back to Charming took about an hour, and by the time I pulled off the highway, night had truly fallen. The sky was pitch black, no moon out to illuminate anything. The overhead lights had come on as I slowly pulled into the parking lot, parking next to the line of bikes, some of which were gone.

I jumped as, suddenly, tires screeched as an ambulance pulled into the parking lot. Someone jumped out, heading through the door, then the large door to the garage opened. The ambulance pulled in, the door shutting behind it. Three motorcycles had pulled in behind it, and their owners were now parking them by mine.

Their owners, who I quickly identified as Jax, Clay and Tig, quickly headed towards the garage, and I fell in behind them.

"There you are!" Tig's familiar voice rumbled as he swept me up into a tight hug.

"What's going on? Where the hell did we get an ambulance?" I quickly questioned as we headed into the garage after I eagerly returned the embrace.

"We were taking the insurance money to the Irish when we got attacked by the Mayans at the bar. The Irishman, Cameron, was shot, so we gotta patch him up ," Tig rattled off as we stood off to the side. The back doors to the ambulance opened, and I could hear Chibs' voice inside.

"It hit an artery. We're gonna need some surgical tools, scalpels, clamps, needles, that kind of shit."

"Make a list, I'll see if Tara can help us out," Jax ordered.

"Where the hell did we get an ambulance?" The question announced the arrival of Gemma, who had appeared from the office. Everyone immediately pointed at Half-Sack.

"Come on, we're going to have to move him into the clubhouse, probably into the church," Tig said, sticking his head into the ambulance.

"I'm going to grab some towels," I announced, taking a few steps towards the door.

"Avery?" Chibs yelled from inside the ambulance. I stuck my head inside the window as everyone started to move at once. Jax headed for his bike, Tig jogged into the clubhouse, presumably to help me gather anything we could find that might help, and Juice still hadn't shown up.

I could just barely see Chibs as he bent over someone. All I could see of Cameron was his legs, and the blood that had dyed his jeans a deep brown color. Juice was next to him, trying to help in any way that he could.

"Where the hell have ya been?" Chibs growled, our eyes meeting. I shrugged, not really knowing the easiest way to explain my nightmare and my fleeing the clubhouse.

"I think we have bigger things to deal with," I commented, gesturing to the bleeding Irishman. Anger flashed through Chibs' eyes, his hands clenching on the gauze that he was holding. Trying to ignore the look that had passed over his face, I headed into the clubhouse, going for my room. I tossed my stuff down onto my bed, before grabbing an armful of towels out of the closet.

Sitting down on my bed for a moment, I tried to focus. The anger on Chibs face had scared me, reminding me entirely too much of the nightmare and of the man that I had spent the whole day, unsuccessfully trying to escape from. Taking a few deep breaths, I headed out into the chapel and spread the towels out on the table. A few minutes later, Chibs, Juice and Tig carried in Cameron.

The next four hours passed in a bloody blur. There were three slugs buried in Cameron, and we only managed to get one out. Cameron passed out an hour in from the pain and the alcohol Chibs was feeding him to try and numb the pain. All the while we waited on Jax to return with supplies from Tara.

"Come on Avie, you need to sleep," Tig ordered, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me from the chapel where Chibs and Juice still worked. Chibs' eyebrow rose at the action, but I ignored it. I was too tired to push Tig away, instead accepting it as I leaned against him as he led me to my room. He waited while I scrubbed the blood off my hands, and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

Clicking the bathroom light off, I sat down on my bed next to Tig. He looked up at me, a worried look creasing his normally stoic face.

"Where were you today?" he murmured. "You had everyone worried." I shrugged, not really knowing how to explain my past to a man that wasn't exactly known for his concern for others. Yet here he was, concerned.

"I just had a nightmare last night. Needed to get away, clear my head. Not really a big deal," I sighed, leaning back against the pillow. Tig opened his mouth as if to ask another question, yet thought better of it. Nodding slightly, he stood up and crossed the room to the door.

"Well if you need anything, just holler. I'm sure no one's going home tonight." He stepped out, going to shut the door.

"Hey Tig?" I called. He stuck his head back in. "Whoever did this to Cameron…..are we next?" He sighed, a hand running through his curly hair.

"I'm not sure doll, I'm really not. But don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise."


End file.
